From Thanksgiving until just a few days before Christmas, our area was thoroughly blanketed with a thick layer of snow. It really helped put us in the Christmas mood.
At least we're guaranteed a white Christmas on Star Stable! The winter event is in full swing.
the running commentary from the capran tour guide is highly entertaining
Dash and Clara communing with some Fawncys out in the wild
Here's a look at the new winter token rewards for this year: the Brownie Bear Hug Set and the Polaris Set. I was hoping for some cheerful jewel tones, or something shimmery or decorated with snowflakes... but nope, it's all brown this year. The bronze bear details on the first set are super cute, though, so we'll probably make good use of everything but the brown sweater and saddle pad. The second set isn't really our style. Hopefully there are some players out there that really like it.
Clearly, many other players want them too. =)
Artie and Clara posing in a snow globe
We were so happy to enter our stable on Dec. 10 and see this!
Star Stable does such a great job decorating every year!
We've been thoroughly enjoying the magical beauty of the Winter Village. Most of the fun races and activities from previous years have returned.
We're also getting 31 days of gifts under the big yule tree, which started on Dec. 10. So, the gifting will continue well into January, which is a bit unorthodox but cool by us.
A few new activities this year include:
slipping and sliding on a frozen pond to catch baby gnomes for their nap time,
taking a basket of gnomes on mini tours of various Jorvik locations,
ice fishing,
and decorating various structures around Jorvik,
like...
Jasper's barn,
the Fort Pinta bridge,
and even the Fort Pinta statue!
The final levels of Ashfall's training zipped by. Here he is doing his final sparkle, after a New Hillcrest championship.
That means all of the horses are back in our riding rotation at last. The event's long enough that we think everybody will get a chance to see the Winter Village this year. =)
We're getting a break from horse bazaars, which Lily is relieved about. Star Stable did release two cool new magical winter horses this year, though, the Andalusian-based Sól and Máni:
Inspired by the sunlight and moonlight, their magical coats subtly change and shimmer. They also glow (softly, not obnoxiously) in the dark.
Sól has an appropriate golden non-magic coat:
...while Máni's is seal brown:
I love the idea of these guys, and their lack of deer characteristics is a refreshing change of pace. I'm not fond of Sól's loopy mane or rump spikes, though. And while I love Máni's simpler night sky-esque design, I don't think the seal brown non-magical coat, with its reddish highlights, jives. Why couldn't he be dark and silvery, as in blue roan, grullo, or some shade of gray?
If we were going to buy another magical winter horse this year, it would probably be Heidrun the "goat horse" or Fawny the "fawn horse."
Since they're several years old, they are way less expensive than the shiny new horses.
They've both grown on us over time, but we still find it hard to look past their awkward early generation 3 gaits. We're not fond of the cloven hooves or - in Heidrun's case - the horns either. So, no plans to take one of these guys home on Christmas or New Year's, at least not this season.
Here's a look at the new winter token rewards for this year: the Brownie Bear Hug Set and the Polaris Set. I was hoping for some cheerful jewel tones, or something shimmery or decorated with snowflakes... but nope, it's all brown this year. The bronze bear details on the first set are super cute, though, so we'll probably make good use of everything but the brown sweater and saddle pad. The second set isn't really our style. Hopefully there are some players out there that really like it.
As you can see from that last square, some of the sets from last year are back as well, but we're ignoring those since we already own them.
Star Stable is giving us a northern lights inspired set as part of its latest trailblazer track, so we are getting some shimmer. That color scheme is fantastic, but as it's western style with a non-traditionally-shaped blanket, we probably won't use it much.
Here's a peek at the latest set of championship ribbons to be earned:
Cute! Are they worth all the effort it takes to earn them all? No, but you know we will!
For your enjoyment and ours, here are some fun pre-Christmas screenshots!
You wouldn't know it, but there's a chicken down there in the deep snow too
We played against this NPC in all 4 western races, and the poor girl was stuck in this position the entire time. We could not stop laughing.
my favorite decoration this year
The rider-in-the-ground bug seems to be spreading. XD
It's possible to bring a winter animal back to Jorvik! Impractical but fun.
Also note one of our gnome-helping rewards this year, starry ceiling decor.
We might leave this up year-round!
Hee hee, some of Maya's sheep get nearly buried.
I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching the animals make little trails in the snow.
This is probably my favorite part of the winter event. =)
Whoa, who are these dark, hooded figures in the circus tent? How long have they been there?
a ridiculously precarious Star Stable transport
Brr!
Picnicking in the snow. Raina's not having it.
Our Atlas (right) and his twin, a permanent fixture by the baby gnomes this year
mini donkey cuddles!
This post is already so long that we plan to take a page from Star Stable's book and stretch the season out a bit. Our holiday recap will be coming first thing in 2026! Wishing anybody who would happen to see this a merry Christmas and happy final stretch of 2025!
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